Vending-machine.



P. S. BLOCH.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED Amm?, 1910.

969,330. ,A Patented Sept, 1910.

nu: Nonms PETERS ca., wAsmNcToN, n. cd

UNITED STATES APATENT OFFICE.

PAULINE S. BLOCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ROGERS VERYBEST MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

vENnING-MACHINE. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Application filed April 27, 1910. Serial N0. 557,863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAULINE S. BLOCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manhattan borough, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact descript-ion.

This invention relates to an improved agitating device for vending machines, the object of the invention being to provide an agitating device which is adapted for agitating small articles loosely placed in a receptacle therefor.

My improved agitator consists preferably of a yieldable element adapted for movement among small articles, such for instance, as pills, pea-nuts or pellets of chewing gum.

My improved agitator is preferably mounted upon or operated by the ejecting device of a vending machine, designed to vend articles such as above named.

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail, the novel features of which I will finally claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a vending machine, embodying my improvement, and Fig. 2 is a front view of a modiied form of a yieldable agitator.

In the drawing 1 indicates a receptacle in which are placed (in this instance) pellets 2 which can be considered as pills or made of chewing gum. In this instance, the receptacle 1 is provided with a bottom plate 3 having an opening 4L through which the contents of the receptacle can pass and fall upon a shelf 5. Adjacent the plate 3 is positioned a movable ejector 6 having an opening 7 surrounded by a flange S. The openings 4 and 7 are in alinement as shown.

The coin controlled apparatus for the receptacle indicated by A, is the same as shown and described in my application for Patent, Serial Number' 519608, dated September 25, 1909. Therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Upon the ejector 6, I mount a yieldable agitator 9, which in this instance consists of a spiral spring. The agitator 9 passes through an elongated opening 10 in the plate 3 and extends upwardly sufciently to agitate the contents of the receptacle l.

While I do not limit the use of the agita' tor 9 to spherical articles or pellets, it is, however, particularly well adapted for such articles. Y

Then a receptacle is filled with spherical articles, the said articles are apt to jam or to become arched over the opening through which they are intended to pass. To break the jamming or arching of the said articles an agitating means must be employed. To break the said jamming or arching of the articles, I preferably mount and operate my improved agitator as shown and described. j

The yieldable nature of my improved agitator adapts it to give, should any of the pellets in the receptacle become tightly jammed. If some of the pellets are jammed and do notv give way when the agitator moves forwardly with the ejecting device 6, the said agitator will yield and take the line of least resistance, thereby stirring those pellets that lie adjacent the jammed pellets, whereby the jammed pellets are caused to give way. It will also be noted that as my improved agitator consists of a spiral spring secured at one end and free at the other, it is adapted to stretch, or yield, intermediate the ends thereof, should the upper end of the agitator become jammed, whereby the movement of the ejector is not in any way prevented from performing its proper function.

The form of agitator illustrated in Fig. 2 consists of a vertically disposed spring member 11 upon which are mounted horizontally disposed spring members 12 and 18. In said Fig. 2 a portion of an ejector 14 is indicated.

I-Iaving now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- ent is 1. In a vending machine, a receptacle for articles to be vended, a movable ejector adjacent thereto, and a yieldable agitator adapted to agitate the contents of said receptacle, carried by said ejector, said agitator consisting of a vertically disposed spring comprising a plurality of convolutions, and being secured at its lower end to the ejector and being free to move at its opposite end.

2. In a vending machine, a rece tacle for articles to be vended, a movable ejector adjacent thereto, and a yieldable agitator, adapted to agitate the contents of saidreceptacle, carried by said ejector, said agtal one end thereof, to said ejector, said agitator tor consisting of a vertical spiral spring being adapted to yield or stretch in the di,

member and horizontally disposed spiral rection of its length.

spring members carried thereby. Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 22 5 In a velding machine, a receptacle for day Aof April 1910.

articles to e Vended, a movable ejector adjacent thereto, and a yieldable agitator PAULINE S BLOCH' adapted to agitate the contents of said re- `Witnesses:

oeptacle, carried by said ejector, said agta- SAM RUSHMAN, 10 tor consisting of a spiral spring secured, at HENRY H. OTTEN. 

